Be careful who you shovel dirt on.
Monday Edition
Welcome to "The Monster", now in audio format! This week we'll be doing what we do every week, looking at everything that matters with every single IDP relevant player on every single defense, every week all season and never behind a paywall. Now available before waivers run. We'll look at playing time, production, injuries and waivers because of them, changes in role or demotion (Daniel Sorensen, Jaylon Smith, etc) and we'll follow the ebbs and flows of the season in an effort to make sure you have the best IDP producers starting for your defense every week and don't miss any crucial information.
If things didn’t go how we thought they would we’ll try and figure out why that was, if someone we’ve never heard of went off for a massive week we’ll find out if they’re worth picking up on waivers or if they’re just barely playing and just lucked into a sack or splash play and it likely won’t happen again any time soon. We’ll follow up on weird or iffy situations with information from beat writers and whatever else I can find to connect the dots. We'll also use information from sources such as PFF, NFLGSIS, Pro Football Reference and from other smart people in the IDP community as well. If I can't get the answer I'll go find it. This is the one place you can come every single week and learn everything you could possibly need to know in regards to all things FFIDP and by the end of the audio you'll know what you need to in order to make the best decisions for the upcoming matchups.
Between this article & audio, @Mike_Woellert and his three down linebacker article, listening to The IDP Show podcast and the various information published weekly from our site (idpguys.org) and other excellent FFIDP sources out there (Gary Davenport, Gary Van Dyke, Justin Varnes, Jon Macri, The IDP Show, 4 for 4 IDP, etc) you should be completely locked in for your individual defensive players across the board. If you're short on time though my mission with this content is to get "all of it in one place" so this is a good start. Remember the "why" is just as important as "what" so with all that in mind let's get into it.
The Week Six Questions
We got the week started Thursday night with a surprisingly good matchup between the Eagles and Bucs, this one ended up being pretty close and despite a slow start for the Eagles we ended up getting enough offense out of them to sustain the majority of the known and relied upon FFIDP options on the Bucs defense. For the Bucs we'll look at life without Lavonte David (LB), we know it was Kevin Minter (LB) but how much did he play? How did he do? Is this an option going forward for the duration of the Lavonte David (LB) injury or something we should pass on? Tampa Bay was also without Antoine Winfield Jr (S) this week so we'll see what the safety corps looks like when he's not available and also check in on the cornerback corps that has been shredded by injury this season. We lost Richard Sherman (CB) early in this one and with Carlton Davis (CB) already on IR what does this secondary look like currently if we want to stream anyone in the next couple few weeks? For the Eagles we got another monster game from Alex Singleton (LB) but was the playing time still less than ideal? Was Davion Taylor (LB) able to see any increase in playing time and where was Eric Wilson (LB)? Did Javon Hargrave (DT) continue his hot streak and where has Fletcher Cox (DT) been? Plenty of important questions for both these defenses so we'll dive deep into this one and see what there is to see.
Moving on to Sunday morning we kicked off in London with the Dolphins and Jaguars since we're only sending our best product to the fine people of Great Britain. For the Dolphins we'll look at Jaelan Phillips (DE) and see if the solid playing time continued this week and also check in on the other IDP relevant rookie Jevon Holland (S) as well. Without both Byron Jones (CB) and Xavien Howard (CB) what did the cornerback corps look like this week for Miami and did any linebacker besides Jerome Baker (LB) play enough to be considered an option in any of our leagues? With Jacksonville how did things shake out after the Myles Jack (LB) injury and were Andrew Wingard (S) and Rayshawn Jenkins (S) able to continue their excellent seasons as waiver wire safeties in most leagues? Did Josh Allen (DE) keep up the recent hot streak and was K'Lavon Chaisson (OLB) capable of having two good weeks in a row? (Of course not, that's like asking if I'm capable of successfully digesting Chipotle). We'll give the corners, who besides Shaq Griffin (CB) have seen a ton of fluctuation this season, a once over also. And lastly we'll use this as an opportunity to post my second favorite meme so far this season (the Steelers fan shitting his pants week two was my favorite and not likely to be displaced any time soon).
The Vikings and Panthers ended up in overtime and we got a ton of excellent IDP production this week for many of our favorite options in this one. For the Vikings we'll have another look at how things are shaking out with Anthony Barr (OLB) back as the other linebacker seeing significant snaps here, Nick Vigil (LB) saw his playing time and therefore production fall off a cliff due to this last week, was it the same this time around? On the defensive line was it a total split at defensive tackle between Dalvin Tomlinson (DT) and Sheldon Richardson (DT) again this week? I was there was at least one injury in the cornerback corps so we'll check in on that as well along with a quick once over of Everson Griffen (DE) and his playing time and production, both of which have been giving me flashbacks of years ago with him and Danielle Hunter (DE) causing havoc on opposing quarterbacks. For Carolina was Jeremy Chinn (S) able to finally get his production going and how did Jermaine Carter (LB) look in yet another week of filling in for the injured and out Shaq Thompson (LB)? The cornerback corps here has seen a ton of fluctuation with the addition of Stephon Gilmore (CB) and AJ Bouye (CB) returning from injury plus the subtraction of Jaycee Horn (CB) to a season ending injury so plenty to look at with all that. Lots of information to digest with this one.
In the windy city the Packers continued their winning ways against the Bears in a divisional showdown. For the Packers did we see any Jaylon Smith (LB) yet or was it still Krys Barnes (LB) as the "other" IDP relevant linebacker here? Was Darnell Savage (S) able to give us two good weeks in a row or was that too much to ask for? Without Jaire Alexander (CB) again this week was it still Eric Stokes (CB) and Kevin King (CB) or how did all that shake out and how did the pass rush do without Za'Darius Smith (OLB) yet again this week? For the Bears did Roquan Smith (LB) give us another LB1 day? Is water wet? More importantly how did the snaps shake out for Danny Trevethan (LB) and Alec Ogletree (LB)? Was Eddie Jackson (S) (Skidmarks) able to finally give us one of those "boom" weeks since we've just been getting the "bust" so far this season? Beyond that this is a pretty stable defense week to week but we'll give everything a once over like we always do to make sure we didn't miss anything important.
In the motor city the Bengals got back on track after a heartbreaking loss against the Packers last week as they were able to blow away the Lions rather easily. With Cincy we'll look at that second linebacker role, guys like Germaine Pratt (LB) have been playing around 50% or 60% of snaps weekly and turning in decent numbers sporadically, is there a move to be made there in deeper leagues or is this something that isn't worth the trouble? Was Sam Hubbard (DE) able to get back on track this week and did Trey Hendrickson (DE) continue his hot streak against the Lions? Will Jessie Bates (S) (Mr. Bates) ever find happiness with Anna and how did Logan Wilson (LB) do against a sub par Lions offense? For Detroit we'll do our due diligence but frankly the less time we spend there the better, we'll answer the usual questions, did they screw over Tracy Walker (S) this week, a check in on Derrick Barnes (LB) and the other usual suspects etc.
We'll head over to Indianapolis after that where the Colts blew away the hapless Texans, this one has plenty of importance on the Houston side of things for how much dirt, if any, we'll be shoveling on one of IDP Twitter's favorite linebackers Zach Cunningham (LB) after seeing his role slashed dramatically for the second time this season last week. Early reports are Cunningham barely played again this week, is it time to victory lap since I've been warning people about this since last season? No, I don't victory lap. I get all kinds of stuff right each week and a good amount wrong as well but this one was pretty big, Cunningham was the combined tackles leader last season and if this really is the end it's massive news. We'll also check in on Jonathan Greenard (DE) who has been so hot lately (zoolander gif here). As for the Colts was Khari Willis (S) able to remain in one piece for an entire game? Was Darius Leonard (LB) finally able to justify the insane price everyone paid for him prior to the season? Was Bobby Okereke (LB) the better option in terms of production and price once again this week? Did DeForest Buckner (DT) get back on track as one of the best defensive tackle options for IDP purposes? Plenty to look at here.
In the Big Apple the Rams destroyed the Giants as predicted by basically everyone, that was the easiest survivor pick this season no doubt. For the Rams was Sebastian Joseph Day (DT) able to continue his recent hot streak or was Aaron Donald (DT) the better option as is tradition? Which safety was better this week, Jordan Fuller (S) or Taylor Rapp (S)? How did the cornerback situation end up without Darious Williams (CB) and which linebacker saw more snaps this week, Troy Reeder (LB) or Kenny Young (LB)? On the Giants we got another excellent week of Tae Crowder (LB) once again proving that linebacker is the easiest and most available position to find off waivers during the season but beyond that was Reggie Ragland (LB) serviceable this week as well? Jabrill Peppers (S) was apparently healthy, how did he do and how much did he play and did it effect Xavier McKinney? Their defensive line apparently woke up this week as well so we'll have a look at that as well, Leonard Williams (DE) and the like. Lots of good information to be had with this matchup.
We'll then head to the nations capital where the Chiefs got back to their winning ways and blew away the Football Team. For Kansas City did we get Chris Jones (DT) back this week, was it Nick Bolton (LB) or Willie Gay (LB) as the linebacker to have in this one or going forward this season? We got news right before kickoff that Daniel Sorensen (S) finally lost his starting job to Juan Thornhill (S) as many of us expected at some point, how did that look this week? It's almost like poor play eventually results in losing your playing time, we keep seeing that this season and that's even the second example this week between Cunningham and Sorensen. As for the Football Team we saw Chase Young (DE) back in the sack column this week but what happened to Montez Sweat (DE) and the rest of the pass rush? There was a Jamin Davis (LB) sighting in the box score but was it ideal playing time or just a flash in the pan? Was Landon Collins (S) able to play every snap again this week or is the honeymoon over, same deal with Kamren Curl (S), he's seen a bump the last couple weeks did that continue here against the Chiefs? Some vital answers to be had for sure.
Down in Baltimore we ended up with a blood bath when many of us thought we'd be getting a high scoring and competitive affair between the Ravens and Chargers. For the Ravens was Patrick Queen (LB) able to play better and recover some of the capital that both the team and many IDP managers dumped into him? We got DeShon Elliot (S) back this week how did he do in the box score and in regards to his playing time returning from injury? This is a pretty stable defense beyond those couple of notes but we'll check everything out as always. With the Chargers not only were they already down Kenneth Murray (LB) but Drue Tranquil (LB) was an inactive as well, so we know it was Kyzir White (LB) but who else was in there and is whoever that was an option going forward if the Tranquil injury lasts longer than expected? Joey Bosa (DE) was hobbled a couple short weeks ago, how is he looking now in terms of his playing time and this week's production and was Jerry Tillery (DT) able to keep up the momentum or were the recent nice box scores just a mirage in the desert? There was also a late unexpected inactive with Nasir Adderley (S), who replaced him this week and is that an option going forward if the injury to Adderley is more than a one week thing?
Over in Cleveland we got the Browns and Cardinals in a battle of two teams that could easily end up in their respective conference title games this season. The toll from the injury grim reaper was too much for the Browns to overcome this week and the Cardinals remain undefeated. For the Browns, a team that uses Dime as their base defense among the most of teams in the league, we'll see if Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah (LB) is still the best linebacker option here and what role, playing time and production Anthony Walker (LB) has been relegated to with the emergence of the excellent rookie linebacker. We'll also check in on the cornerback corps that has been shredded by the injury grim reaper, who was able to go this week and what are the options if we're missing some of the starters? On the defensive line were the usual suspects, Myles Garrett (DE) and Jadaveon Clowney (DE) able to give us what we were looking for? And at safety will John Johnson (S) ever return to IDP relevancy or is the role he's been asked to facilitate just not going to be IDP relevant this season? On the Cardinals we'll check in on the linebacker situation as is tradition, was Zaven Collins (LB) a thing this week, will he ever be? At safety was Jalen Thompson (S) able to continue his hot streak and at corner did Byron Murphy (CB) return to the lineup this week and if not what does that unit look like currently and are there any streaming corner options to be found going forward?
A mile high in the sky we'll have a look at the divisional showdown between the Broncos and Raiders. The Raiders were able to rally and get back in the win column as the Broncos continue to wish for more opponents like they got the first few weeks of the season. Not a ton going on between these two relatively stable units but for the Broncos we'll check in on Justin Strnad (LB) and see how that waiver wire linebacker option is looking as well as see if Justin Simmons (S) was able to continue his recent nice production against this decent Raiders offense. For the Raiders was Maxx Crosby (DE) able to bounce back after a strong week one and a quiet few weeks since then? Was it still Denzel Perryman (LB) and Cory Littleton (LB) as the two IDP relevant linebackers and how did the rookie Trevon Moehrig (S), who has been playing plenty but producing little, this week? Do we even want to look at this Raiders cornerback corps or just fire it into the sun? We shall see. A couple things to check on here but mostly business as usual.
The Cowboys took their red hot offense and excellent young defense into Gilette stadium this week to face the rebuilding Patriots. The refs did what they do best and bailed out Belichick and company early and often with a ridiculous call at the goal line but it evened out in the end with a no call for pass interference on Cowboys corner Anthony Brown (CB) that (along with Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb heroics) helped result in another Cowboys victory. For Dallas did Keanu Neal (LB) and Leighton Vander Esch (LB) split that other inside linebacker role? Was Jayron Kearse (S) able to continue his excellent production as an early waiver wire safety and how did the two excellent young studs do, Micah Parsons (LB) and Trevon Diggs (CB)? For the Patriots we'll look at Kyle Dugger (S), the corners and Matt Judon (OLB) and anything else that stands out but the less time we spend on them the better, this is not a defense you want to be acquiring your IDP producers from ever for any reason.
Sunday night we got the Seahawks minus Russel Wilson (QB) and the Steelers minus Juju Smith Schuster (WR) but I watched the season premiere of Succession because HBO TV is exponentially better than watching these two dumpster fires on Sunday night football. For the Seahawks we'll look at their maddeningly frustrating defensive line and see if any stability has set in or if it's still a completely random rotation week to week. We'll also see if Jamal Adams (S) was able to have a better week or if he's in for another week of beat writers and pundits writing articles about how badly Seattle lost that trade with the Jets. Bobby Wagner (LB) had a bit of a down week against the Rams, was he able to turn it around with Najee Harris (RB) and the Steelers in town? And for Pittsburgh we'll look at the usual suspects, the inside linebackers especially after seeing fluctuations in playing time and therefore production for both Devin Bush (LB) and Joe Schobert (LB) all season long. TJ Watt (OLB) had a disappointing game against Denver, was he able to rebound against the Seahawks and a backup quarterback with a fraction of Russel Wilson's (QB) talent and escapeability.
And we'll wrap up week six with the Bills and Titans in the music city. For the Bills everything has been set in stone all season the only real news lately has been with the injury grim reaper, we were told Matt Milano (LB) was good to go this week but did he play 100% of snaps as usual or did they ease him back into the lineup? We shall see. For the Titans this is another chance for us to check in on their ridiculous linebacker situation, we know David Long (LB) was in there early and often but with the signing of Avery Williamson (LB) how did this unit look this week? Was Rashaan Evans (LB) the odd man out or was it something completely out of left field? We've also got some movement with the second safety in Tennessee, was it Amani Hooker (S) or Dane Cruikshank (S) this week after news of Hooker being reactivated off IR? We also theoretically got our first Bud Dupree (OLB) snaps in this one, how did that look?
So some good questions here as well, and plenty across the board this week. We'll get to the bottom of everything and gain another week of knowledge to store in our brain box for when we need it with those runs into the playoffs and the title runs in the end game. Alright you know the deal, that's what we're talking about this week for each team's defense, click the link to the audio above (embedded in the article and also available on the idpguys podcast feed) and we'll get going here. Thank you for reading and listening and let's hope the fantasy Gods are merciful to us all this week.
***NOTE*** The Bills/Titans audio will be added sometime Tuesday since snaps and other information (the "gamebook" itself) won't be available until Monday morning and I'll be in work and won't be able to access that information and record the reaction to that final matchup until likely sometime Tuesday early evening, my guess is that last matchup will be added Tuesday night at some point, circle back on that to catch the final matchup information from that Monday night game
***Note*** I meant interception not touchdown for Jamel Dean, first segment. Brain fart. And linebacker not safety for Davion Taylor. I'm sure there were more mistakes as well I was working on like four hours of sleep recording this yesterday. Apologies for any confusion.
The Week Six Answers
(Listen to the audio above, also available on the idpguys podcast feed)
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